CAN A PERSON LIVING IN ADULTERY BE BAPTIZED?
by Garland M. Robinson

        Is God willing to forgive every sin? Can a thief, liar, murderer, homosexual, idolater, hater, fornicator, adulterer, drunkard, etc., receive forgiveness? Second Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord...is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Therefore, a person living in any of these sins can receive forgiveness in baptism IF HE/SHE REPENTS. Water baptism saves (1 Peter 3:21). Sins are washed away in the blood of Jesus at baptism (Revelation 1:5; Acts 22:16).
        The KEY to forgiveness of any and all sins is REPENTANCE. Repentance means to change one's mind, to think differently, reconsider. Repentance manifests or exhibits itself in a change of life and practice. Therefore, those guilty of adultery stop committing adultery. Those guilty of lying, drinking, hating, stealing, fornicating, sodomy, etc., stop practicing these sins.
        The Bible gives an example of those guilty of such sins stopping their practice of them and receiving forgiveness. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Some at Corinth had been adulterers but they repented and stopped.
        Can an adulterer be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38) and continue in adultery? The answer is obviously NO. Can one continue the practice of stealing, lying, sodomy or drinking and be scripturally be baptized for the remission of sins? Certainly not!
        Jesus said, "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery" (Matthew 19:9). To divorce one's husband/wife (except for fornication) and marry again places one in an adulterous marriage. To repent means the adulterous marriage must be dissolved. One cannot be right with God and continue in adultery any more than one could continue lying, stealing, drinking, etc.
        Adultery can be forgiven, but repentance must take place first.